Opinion : Nkosinathi Mtshali
The University of the Free State (UFS) in South Africa has been a microcosm of the nation’s struggle for transformation in higher education. Despite ambitious goals outlined in Vision130, an inclusive strategic plan, the university has faced numerous hurdles.
Notably, the resurgence of racism incidents, such as the “urine incident” and the “Shimla Park incident,” and the most recent incident whereby an African student was referred to as a “baboon “has brought into focus the limitations of the Fallism movement in achieving meaningful change and transformation within the institution.
The Fallism Movement: A Recap:
Chumani Maxwele a former student of the University of Cape Town protesting by throwing human faeces at the statue of Cecil John Rhodes can be summarised as the most powerful and the commencement of what initially was #RhodesMustFall.
Emerging in 2015, the Fallism movement, which later became known as “Fees Must Fall,” galvanized
students across South African universities to demand affordable and accessible higher education.
The movement’s rallying cry echoed the need for dismantling financial barriers, but as it gained
momentum, it revealed deep-seated issues that extended beyond tuition fees.
initial focus on tuition fees, while crucial at that point in time, may have overshadowed other pressing issues such as achieving transformation which demands addressing broader systemic inequities which has often been utilised by universities to shut the doors of learning and make a right which is entrenched in the freedom charter a privilege, including curriculum decolonization, representation, and institutional culture which has remained the beacon those who represent our colonial and apartheid era cling onto as a haven for their privilege.
The failure of the movement due to fragmentation highlighted the lack of a unified strategy,
resulting in varied approaches and priorities across universities.
This fragmentation limited its ability
to create a comprehensive vision for transformation especially in regressive environments such as
your UFS, NWU and other former Afrikaner institutions.
Despite apparent initial efforts which are by the way performative acts which the institution undergoes to ensure that it maintains an image of a transformed institution that address transformation, UFS has faced a resurgence of racism, epitomized by various incidents of racism and the two highly publicized incidents being the:
The Urine Incident which took place in 2008 when a video surfaced showing white UFS students humiliating black workers by forcing them to drink from a bucket allegedly containing urine.
This act was a stark reminder that, despite attempts at change, deeply entrenched racism still thrived within
the institution and not a decade later once again the Shimla Park Incident took place in 2017, during a rugby match, a group of white students dressed as black domestic workers and rugby players in blackface which led to a violent confrontation whereby the white students assaulted black students and workers present at the rugby match.
This incident underscored the prevalence of racist stereotypes and the resistance to genuine transformation.
2023 September 14 we sit once again having to write multiple letters to the institution sighting an incident which took place in a classroom whereby a lecturer was present and an African student is referred to as a baboon by a white Afrikaans male and the lecturer takes a position of continuing with the class and minimising the slur as just a “joke” which should be ignored to avoid drama.
The UFS under the stewardship of Francis Peterson embarked on Vision130, an ambitious long-term plan aimed at addressing “historical inequalities, promoting inclusivity”, and improving research output.
I add brackets to the wording “inequalities and inclusivity” to emphasise that the University utilises these terms as a cosmetic exercise which it has gone to the extent of forming a “Decolonial working group” and a Unit for Institutional Change and social justice to justify this farce that it is committed in its program to transform.
However, the resurgence of racism incidents continues to cast a shadow over these aspirations, raising questions about the university’s ability and intent to create a truly transformed environment.
To achieve meaningful transformation, UFS and institutions facing similar challenges must:
1. Address Racism Head-On: Confront and combat racism through educational initiatives, diversity
training, and transparent consequences for those perpetrating discriminatory acts.
2. Institutional Culture Change: Create an inclusive campus culture that promotes tolerance,
empathy, and respect for all members of the academic community through dialogue with the
student populace in terms of the vision which they as the primary recipients wish to create for their
institution.
3. Curriculum Decolonization: Provide support to academics who take part in the work of
decolonizing the curriculum and create a division which must solely exists to develop and identify
programmes which speak to diverse perspectives and histories, ensuring that all students benefit
from a holistic education for generations to come.
4. Community Engagement: Engage with all stakeholders, including students, faculty, and the broader community, to foster a collective commitment and understanding to transformation that will reflect the demographics of the town, province and broader South Africa.
The resurgence of racism incidents at the University of the Free State serves as a stark reminder of
the unfinished battle for transformation in South African higher education.
As a student at the University of the Free State I remain a staunch critique of Vision130 which I believe I must pen down and allow the institution to address the concerns and adopt measures to ensure that those inputs
are taken into consideration.
As UFS progresses with its Vision which is aimed at transforming and promoting inclusivity, the lessons from Fallism underscore the need for comprehensive change that goes beyond superficial fixes. Only by confronting racism head-on and fostering a truly inclusive environment can UFS hope to achieve the transformative goals set out in its vision for the future.
I write this in my own capacity as Nkosinathi Mtshali an undergraduate LLB student at the University of the Free State.
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